I'm doing the IN tough mudder on Sat. What vff's do you recomend? KSO's or Flows? (or... regular running shoes?)

I'm leaning towards the Flows but they're a bit tight on my feet, and for 11 miles...?

I'm all set with everything else...

Thanks!

Frank

Based on everything I have read from past experience... I would say neither of those models. People talk about slippage in the mud and those models don't have enough grip. Something with a trek sole would be better.

This is the advice i would give as well- trek sole will be best for grip on muddy climbs. I used Komodos for my first Mudder, but would advise Trek Sports for anyone buying VFFs for the Mudder specifically.

KSOs or Flows wouldn't be ideal in mud conditions.

So, then... regular running shoes? That's my only other alternative.

You know your running style a lot better than I do. I'm sure you could make the Flows, or KSOs work if you needed them to. I'd advise against regular running shoes as it pretty much sucked when I ran in Adidas for Warrior Dash.

Have you ever covered 11 miles in VFFs?

P

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Saying "5716 People entered a race, and I beat 5021 of them" is way cooler than telling people you came in 695th"

I'm doing the IN tough mudder on Sat. What vff's do you recomend? KSO's or Flows? (or... regular running shoes?)

I'm leaning towards the Flows but they're a bit tight on my feet, and for 11 miles...?

I'm all set with everything else...

Thanks!

Frank

Based on everything I have read from past experience... I would say neither of those models. People talk about slippage in the mud and those models don't have enough grip. Something with a trek sole would be better.

This is the advice i would give as well- trek sole will be best for grip on muddy climbs. I used Komodos for my first Mudder, but would advise Trek Sports for anyone buying VFFs for the Mudder specifically.

KSOs or Flows wouldn't be ideal in mud conditions.

So, then... regular running shoes? That's my only other alternative.

You know your running style a lot better than I do. I'm sure you could make the Flows, or KSOs work if you needed them to. I'd advise against regular running shoes as it pretty much sucked when I ran in Adidas for Warrior Dash.

Have you ever covered 11 miles in VFFs?

P

I used my flows and it was a blast!! Freezing cold... before I got wet and muddy. Never had so much fun while suffering oh so much. The flows worked really well for me.

Frank, I'm glad to hear your Flows worked out for you. Also glad to see you had as much fun running in these crazy races as the rest of us nuts. I've been running in my Flows since the weather has turned colder. They've been great. This is year 3 for my Flows and they still look pretty decent. I think I can get another two years out of them before I'll have to replace them.

I ran the Warrior Dash in Flows and didn't have trouble with slipping and sliding. It's more about your form in regards to your balance. If you have poor form and depend on excessive amounts of tread to compensate for your imbalance, you will end up slipping all over the place. People in normal running shoes were wiping out all over the place. I never slipped once. I did slide on some down hills, but maintained my balance and never fell down. If you keep your general center of mass over your feet and stay disciplined with your form, then you should not have any trouble.

Wow - congratulations, Cheese! Are you going to take them up on that invitation?

As of this moment- yes, but that could change depending on cost vs. my life situation.

WTM means travel since they probably won't have it here in CO. It also means gear- not just VFFs, but also a wetsuit (extremely cold air and water temps) I'll have to pack along a tent, and warming blankets along with other assorted specialized gear. I'll need to rent a vehicle that can transport myself, and my family plus that gear. It adds up pretty fast.

There is also the matter of time out of my life, the days surrounding the event, and months of training with a singularity of focus. I don't do anything half-ass, so that means REALLY putting myself into this.

WTM is different from TM in that the course has twice the obstacles, and it goes on for 24 hrs. It is guaranteed to be the most miserable conditions they can come up with.

One thing that has me captivated is that I have never been to any sort of world championship- very few people have. To make this cut in only the second year they are running it has me inspired to give it everything I have.

Its been a strange journey- if you read my first post here I was a couch potato just 2 years ago. Just getting to the point where I have run (and will continue to run) in multiple Tough Mudders would have been crazy talk if someone would have suggested it back then. Yet here I am. The idea of going to Worlds seems like a good exclamation point to the saga

« Last Edit: February 09, 2012, 11:59:59 AM by Cheese »

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Saying "5716 People entered a race, and I beat 5021 of them" is way cooler than telling people you came in 695th"

Congratulations Cheese on your invitation. I just read all 3 pages of your post and finally understood why men wear shorts over running tights! It's a package issue!! I must say your enthusiasm makes me want to look into those races for myself. I think they have one coming to Montreal in 2012, I'll try to recruit a Vff clad friend to do it. I can't say I am a fan of mud, but I am a fan of pushing my limits... Oh and btw you look just like one of my friends Daniel on your first picture, very handsome, even covered in mud later . Good job losing the weight!

I noticed your comment about a singlet in the OP. I wore one for the Indiana Mudder in November and will be wearing one for the Ohio/Michigan one coming up in April. My Treksports have done well for these events.

I'm running CO again this June, also getting into the Spartan events now. I am also training for Triathlon as well- this will be interesting because I just finished a swimming clinic, and I stink in the water!

Makes the goal harder to get to, and hopefully more rewarding to attain.

P

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Saying "5716 People entered a race, and I beat 5021 of them" is way cooler than telling people you came in 695th"

Differences i see between Spartan races, and other Mud Runs are that Spartan adds a penalty factor if you don't complete the obstacle- If you "fail" it's 30 Burpees before you can continue on your way. Some of their obstacles are more of a challenge, rather than simply "climb over this" kinda things- the ones that come to mind are the Grenade toss into a bucket from about 15-20 ft away- miss and its 30 burpees in the mud pit, also they had a spear toss- if the spear doesn't stick, 30 burpees. A lateral wall climb (not easy) fall off? 30 burpees.

All in all I'd say the 5 mile Spartan Military Sprint was actually harder than either of the Tough Mudders I've done.

Here is a video of race winner Hobie Call tackling the course (he did it a lot faster than i did)